VOTERS across Surrey will go to the polls on May 5 to decide who will run their borough councils for the next four years.

Seats are up for grabs in all 11 districts and boroughs, with the three main parties - the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour - putting forward candidates against the likes of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Green Party.

Waverley

People in Waverley will be denied a choice in the elections after several wards were left uncontested when nominations closed.

It is the first time that anyone can remember where the incumbent councillors, or their replacements, in several of the borough’s 29 wards will be elected unopposed.

A total of nine wards containing 16 seats will be uncontested, all of which are held by Conservatives.

These include Elstead and Thursley, Godalming Charterhouse, Godalming Holloway and Witley and Hambledon.

Councillors Stuart Connolly, Julian Hubble, David Inman, Nick Pinches and Jenny Barnes are standing down at the end of their term.

The Liberal Democrat party has 23 candidates, Labour 15 and nine independent councillors. The Green Party and (UKIP) each have one.

The Conservatives are the only party to field candidates for all the contested seats.

Of the 57 seats, 50 are currently held by the Tories, with the independents holding four and the Lib Dems three - all in Cranleigh East.

Guildford

The candidates for the Guildford Borough Council and parish elections have also been announced.

Representatives from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, The Peace Party, UKIP, the Greens and one independent have put themselves forward.

The three main parties will also fight over the Shalford division seat on Surrey County Council recently vacated by Tony Rooth, who stood down to concentrate on his responsibilities as borough council leader.

Woking

Elections in Woking will be held in Byfleet, Goldsworth East, Hermitage and Knaphill South, Horsell East and Woodham, Horsell West, Kingfield and Westfield, Knaphill, Maybury and Sheerwater, Old Woking, Pyrford, St John’s and Hook Heath and West Byfleet.

A notice of a casual vacancy for the Surrey County Council division of St John’s and Brookwood has also been published.

Surrey Heath and Runnymede

In Surrey Heath, borough elections will be held in the wards of Chobham, Bagshot, Bisley, West End, Frimley, Frimley Green, Heatherside, Lightwater, Mytchett and Deepcut, Old Dean, Parkside, St Michael's, St Paul's, Town, Watchetts, and Windlesham.

Elections in Runnymede will take place in Addlestone Bourneside, Addlestone North, New Haw, Woodham, Chertsey Meads, and Chertsey South and Row Town.

Candidates will also be put forward in Chertsey St Ann's, Egham Hythe, Egham Town, Englefield Green East and West, Foxhills, Thorpe, and Virginia Water

Mole Valley

Afonso Afonso, Deidre Mulvenna-Pegrum and Gary Bone are among the candidates hoping to upset the established order in the upcoming district council elections in Mole Valley.

The UKIP hopefuls are among Tories, Liberal Democrats and Labour candidates hoping to win in 14 wards in the elections on May 5, which could change the balance of power at Pippbrook.

The largest party at Mole Valley District Council is currently in opposition.

The Liberal Democrats had one more councillor than the Conservatives since Iain Murdoch won a by-election in October.

Cllr Murdoch’s victory in Capel, Leigh and Newdigate followed the resignation of Tory Philip Warren and left the Liberal Democrats with 18 wards, compared to 17 Conservative areas.

But Liberal Democrat hopes this would lead to a cross-party coalition being formed were crushed when the Independent Group announced it would continue to support the Tories.

The Lib Dems have candidates standing in 13 of the 14 contested wards, while the Tories have one in every area.

There are 12 people hoping to become a UKIP councillor, five from Labour, one from the Green Party, one Ashtead Independent and another Independent in Ockley.

The Lib Dems have also put forward 28 candidates, with UKIP offering seven. Three independent candidates will also stand.

Three Conservatives have also been re-elected in the uncontested ward of Ashford North and Stanwell South.

Elmbridge

A mixture of old names and new faces will be battling it out for a seat in the Civic Centre.

A third of the council is up for election this year with the contest taking place in 20 wards across Elmbridge.

Aside from candidates from the three main political parties and residents' associations, there are also aspiring councillors from the UK Independence Party and the Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party.

Among the independent candidates fighting for the voters' approval is former council member Roy Green, who is up against Conservative councillor Ian Donaldson in Hersham South.

In Esher, Tory cabinet member David Archer faces a fight from Peter Portlock of the Esher Residents' Association and Labour candidate Bruce King.

Elsewhere, both the mayor Barry Cheyne and his deputy John Sheldon are standing for re-election.

Leader of the opposition group, Chris Sadler of the Walton Society, is up against Lewis Brown of the Conservatives in Walton Central, while Liberal Democrat leader Barry Fairbank restands in Long Ditton.

And in what is now an Elmbridge electoral tradition, Chinners will stand for the Monster Raving Loony Party in Molesey East, with his party colleague Monkey the Drummer flying the flag in Molesey North.

Three current councillors will definitely not be returning to the chamber after the vote on May 5.

Tories David Palmer (Walton South) and resources cabinet member Roger Whittaker (Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon) along with Liberal Democrat member for Weybridge North Tim Crowther are not seeking re-election.

Tandridge

Lingfield and Crowhurst councillor Lisa Bangs is standing for re-election as an Independent after resigning from the Lib Dems last year in protest at the coalition.

After beating Tory Mary Edwards in May 2007, Cllr Bangs is now battling to hold on to her seat against UKIP candidate Mark Fowler.

Fellow Independent Bob David is standing unopposed in Tatsfield and Tisley Ward.

Tandridge, one of only two districts boroughs in Surrey, is controlled by the Conservative party with the Tories holding 33 seats to the Lib Dems seven with two independent candidates.

Reigate and Banstead

The borough is currently a Conservative stronghold with 41 councillors, compared with six Reigate and Banstead Residents’ Association councillors, two Liberal Democrats and one Labour member.

A total of 58 other would-be councillors are standing for just 17 seats in the borough.

Epsom and Ewell

Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups will be hoping to break the 70-year hold the Epsom and Ewell Residents Association (RA) has had on the borough.

The borough is almost unique in that the main ruling party is not linked to one of the national parties, this has been the case since the formation of the borough.

In all, 138 candidates will stand for 38 council seats next month.

The council is currently made up of 22 RA members, 10 Lib Dems, four Conservatives, one Labour councillor and a single Independent.